Good day my good friend.
In case you are not a fan of the beautiful game, there was a bit of controversy in the Premier League at the weekend with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) getting a few decisions wrong. Ignoring the obvious point that VAR wouldn’t get rid of mistakes, and would instead lead to different ones being made, its amazing how little changes in its deployment can make all the difference when decisions are on a knife-edge. And yet, because its not perfect, apparently it should be scrapped, even though the old system was not perfect either. Something transport planners know all too well.
If you have any suggestions for interesting news items or bits of research to include in this newsletter, you can email me.
For those of you coming to Mobility Camp in Bristol on 29th September, I will see you there. Tickets are sold out, but if you are still interested you can put your name on a reserve list. Or, sponsorship slots are still available.
James
Marginal gains matter
Many of you probably know of David Brailsford, the man who took British Cycling from also-rans to a dominant force. You may also know of his philosophy of making marginal gains. Every 1% gain in performance isn’t much on its own, but it all adds up. And when you are tackling issues like climate change, even marginal gains matter. Which is why this study on cold-start emissions interested me a lot.
Simply put, emissions from cold starts of engines are a significant issue. This method essentially ‘stores’ those emissions from a cold start phase, and releases them more slowly in a way that reduces the emissions overall. It reminds me a lot of how getting rid of manual chokes improved fuel efficiency in vehicles. A small change for sure. But every marginal gain is needed.
The Underground Cycle Track
It doesn’t quite have the same impact as the Underground Railroad, does it? But at least this has something to do with the actual method of transport. And it perfectly summarises this research article into the cycling habits of people who are homeless or, in the words of the author, variably-housed. I love this article because it shows the value of the bicycle in connecting between informal spaces as well as formal ones.
The people that are part of this study use their bicycles to access work and social support systems. Such an economy is a strictly informal one, but it acts as a life support system for those dependant upon it, and allows them to participate in society and social systems. Having such resilience in social and economic support, and the role of transport in accessing that, is not unheard of. It is too bad that these vulnerable people are often seen as an issue to be hidden, and not a community to be understood.
Random things
These links are meant to make you think about the things that affect our world in transport, and not just think about transport itself. I hope that you enjoy them.
U.S. Solar Bottlenecks Are Causing A Resurgence In Coal (Oil Price)
World food prices drop for fifth consecutive month (United Nations)
Will This Be the First Country Bankrupted by Crypto? (Rolling Stone)
American life expectancy has been lagging for decades. The pandemic sent it into a tailspin (Grid)
Something interesting
Someone who has docked at every cycle docking station in New York? And I thought Geoff Marshall and Vicki Pipe visiting every station in the UK was mad.
If you do nothing else today, then do this
Thank you to Brendan Hill for pointing out this interview with Rory Sutherland and Pete Dyson on BBC Radio 4’s The Spark. They talk Transport for Humans, mostly, and its a great listen.
Mobility Matters 